The Nicest Thing
by Romeo's Juliette
Summary: Sirius has just died and Ginny is mourning her lost friend. In a moment of grief she finds herself before the Black Family Tapestry and discovers he had a brother who died at 18. After learning his story from Kreacher she decides to go back in time and alter its course. AU. TIME TRAVEL
1. Chapter 1

**So this is the first multi-chapter story I've posted in quite a long time. I have no beta and I'm crap at grammar so I apologize beforehand about any errors you will find within the story. Constructive criticism is appreciated just please be kind with your comments. If you don't like the story, click the back button or x out of the page, don't be nasty. I really do hope you like the story. I'm not sure where I'm going with it yet, I'll try to update as much as possible but I warn that I will be really busy (I'm in college, you know) and I also write when inspiration strikes. I do not own Harry Potter, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. I hope you enjoy the story. :)**

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**Prologue**

She traced the tree on the wall, swirling lines tracing back thousands of generations. Her family was on it—from both sides—it was almost hard to believe. She ran her fingers over the black scorch marks where her parents were meant to be, and her uncles…and Sirius. Grief bubbled up to the surface and her eyes welled up with tears. Oh God, she couldn't believe he was dead. One moment he was fighting Bellatrix, the fire had returned to his eyes and he looked almost as he did in those photographs of him during his years at Hogwarts (she'd found them one day while cleaning) but in the next he was falling into the veil, to his death. Through her tears she read the name next to his—Regulus Black (1961-1979). He'd only been 18. Ginny turned her back to the tapestry and walked away, curiosity lighting up within her.

Something bumped against her as she made her way down the narrow hallway to the room she shared with Hermione. "_Filthy bloodtraitors, friends with mudblood…" _The old house elf tried to make his way past her still muttering insults. "Kreacher?"

"_The bloodtraitor speaks to Kreacher. Mistress would never have allowed-" _Ginny ignored him.

"Kreacher, I wonder if you might be able to tell me about your old master, Regulus Black?"

It was almost comical to see the face Kreacher made at the sound of his old master's name. The utter love and devotion transformed the ugly house elf's face and made it almost seem pleasant. _"Master Regulus?"_ Ginny nodded. It was like this was something that Kreacher had been aching to do in years. He launched into a tirade of complements and it became quite clear to Ginny that 'Brave Master Regulus' had been Kreacher's hero.

"Kreacher, what happened to him?" The house elf's face transformed again, this time sad and a bit nervous.

'_Kreacher cannot say. Master made him promise not to say."_

"Did You-Know-Who kill him? Is that why? He didn't want anyone to know he'd betrayed him?"

"_NO! Master Regulus did not like The Dark Lord! He wanted the Dark Lord to know it was him who did it!"_

"Did what Kreacher? What did Regulus do?"

"_Kreacher cannot say." _

Frustration bit at her. She was onto something important, she knew it. She just had to find a way to get him to talk about it without making him feel like he was betraying his master. "But how can anyone know that Master Regulus was brave and that he died a good man if you can't say what he did? You have to tell someone Kreacher." He looked torn, between keeping his Master's promise and upholding his image.

"_Does Mistress promise not to say what Kreacher tells her?"_

"Yes Kreacher, I promise."

"_Master discovered the Dark Lord's secret."_

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_**Yes? No? Continue?**  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in forever and a day. I promise I'll try to update more often. Sorry about the grammar mistakes, it's definitely not my strong point. I really hope you guys like this chapter! Tell me what you think and please be kind about it. If you don't like something there's no need to be nasty. :)**

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_The cave. Blood offering. The lake. Basin. Potion. Screams. Inferi. Drowning._ The visions of it swam in her head. _'Master asked not to be saved. Kreacher begged and begged but Master just ordered Kreacher to feed him the potion.' _Ginny pictured Regulus' body being dragged into the lake by the inferi and shivered.

She sat in the Black Family library trying to find information on horcruxes. Kreacher mentioned that was what Regulus had been trying to destroy. She had never heard of them and so far all the books she had looked through hadn't been useful for anything except maybe giving her years' worth of potential nightmares. She took the next book of the shelf. It was bound in faded black leather with the title written in gold thread, _'Secret of the Darkest Art'. _She opened it and began to skim through the pages and finally she found what she was looking for.

Horror gripped Ginny as she read. It was possibly the vilest act one could possibly commit. Splitting one's soul through murder, it was horrifying-and Voldemort had done it. It could be destroyed it said, with fiendfyre, basilisk venom, and to a certain extent, the killing curse. Ginny closed the book. So he had died a tragic hero then. Kreacher said he'd even left a letter for Voldemort to find. That was courage, Ginny thought to herself. She found herself longing to meet him and experience for herself his quiet bravery.

It was foreign to her, being a Gryffindor, she was used to the gloating and the "loud" acts of "courage". Sure, not all of them were so vocal about their deeds but they did at some level want recognition. The thought that Regulus died so bravely and no one knew a thing about it bothered her greatly.

Ginny suddenly realized that she now had knowledge that the Order should know about. The fact that Voldemort had created a horcrux was not something to be taken lightly. An even more disturbing thought occurred to her: what if Voldemort, whose thirst for power and immortality was the worst kept secret, created more than one horcrux. The memories of her second year with Tom Riddle's diary bubbled to the surface. No other explanation made sense. The diary must have been another horcrux, entrusted to the Malfoy's for safe keeping.

It was too much for one day, Ginny thought exhausted. The clock on the wall told her it was past midnight and she had been in the library for the better part of the day. She put the book back where it belonged and made her way to the room she shared with Hermione. That night she fell asleep and dreamt of an elegant, black haired boy with deep grey eyes and a smile that made her heart skip a beat.

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The next day Ginny woke up oddly refreshed. She made her way downstairs for breakfast and as she climbed down the stairs, she noticed the door to Regulus' room. Sirius had barely let anyone in his room and she was curious to see what his room held and the insight it might give her into his life. She decided no one would really notice her absence and opened the door to his room.

It looks like a bloody Slytherin shrine, was Ginny's first thought. The wallpaper was green and so were the drapes and the bedding. The furniture was a polished black wood and clippings of photos and articles about Voldemort and his followers were hung on the wall next to a painting of the Black family crest. She almost wanted to turn around not believing that the owner of this room was her Regulus. Hers, because she was the only one who knew what he had done aside from Kreacher, and that made him feel hers because she felt she knew more about the real him than anyone else did as odd as that sounded.

Ginny made her way around the room opening cabinets and boxes. She found many photographs of him during his Hogwarts' years. From his possessions, she gathered he'd been a seeker and a prefect. As she searched his desk she realized that the bottom of one of the cabinets sounded as if it was hollow. Like in one of those muggle films that she'd seen with Hermione, she felt around for a way to open the secret compartment. In a last ditch effort, she pushed against the bottom and heard it click open. It was full of letters and old photographs of Regulus and Sirius laughing and playing, clearly predating Hogwarts. You could practically see the hero worship ooze out of little Regulus' eyes when he looked at his older brother. Ginny opened one of the letters and began reading it.

_Dear Reg, _

_I can't wait until you come to Hogwarts! I was sorted into Gryffindor and I've made friends. You'd like them. Their names are James, Remus, and Peter. They're all in Gryffindor as well. The welcoming feast was amazing. I won't ruin it for you. It'll be a surprise for you next year. _

_Love,_

_Sirius_

The rest of the letters where pretty much the same. It seemed like Regulus had wanted to be in Gryffindor with Sirius. What had happened? As she looked through all the letters she found several unsent ones from Regulus.

_Dear Sirius, _

_I don't know what to do. Mother and father came into my room last night to warn me about the consequences if I follow in your footsteps. They said Bellatrix will be watching me, making sure that I behave myself. She scares me, Sirius. I'm not brave like you. _

_Love,_

_Regulus_

Another one was clearly written several years later. According to the date, Sirius had already run away from home and moved in with the Potters.

_Brother, _

_If you still even think of me as such, I need your help. I don't what to do. Bellatrix has been visiting more often and she fills Mother and Father's heads with talk of the Dark Lord and his cause. She's trying to persuade them to make me join. I don't want to be a Death Eater. I don't want to be a murderer. _

_Regulus_

He had been alone, she realized. Pride hadn't let him send those letters and as a result he'd found himself a pawn playing an ill-fated chess game. In that moment, Ginny promised herself she'd save Regulus Black. And along the way, many innocent lives could be spared. Harry would grow up with both his parents in a home filled with love and Sirius wouldn't have to go to Azkaban or die. _'Whatever it takes,' she vowed. _


End file.
